Round 11: Zvi Mowshowitz vs. Raphael Levy

Randy Buehler

Table 1 for the second draft at Worlds is the point where players can start to taste the Top 8. Zvi Mowshowitz and Raphael Levy have both been here before and neither seemed intimidated by the stakes, but the winner of their round 11 feature match would find himself in 2nd place – guaranteed to be in good position for Friday no matter how round 12 turns out.

Zvi drafted a blue-white deck similar to the one he used to 3-0 his first draft table. Blue is by far the most drafted color, but he believes it's well worth fighting for. Levy was running a red-green beatdown deck – exactly the deck that Zvi thinks is vulnerable to this format's control decks.

Zvi played a turn 4 Teroh's Faithful in game 2 and Levy complained on turn 4 "I the this guy ... why does everybody have to play this guy against me?" Zvi's answer was characteristically blunt "Stop playing with red and green creatures ... you'll feel a lot better." After Zvi's next turn (Phantom Nomad and enchant it with Ghostly Wings) it was hard to argue with Zvi's logic. Beloved Chaplain made Levy howl even louder.

Levy had the last laugh in this game, however. First he made Zvi pay 6 life to stop Breaking Point from resolving. Then he played a Goretusk Firebeast. Sonic Seizure, discarding Violent Eruption added up to a very crispy Zvi Mowshowitz. Zvi was in control of the board, but he couldn't do anything about 17 points of direct damage.

Levy came out fast in game 3. Not only did he have a turn 2 Wild Mongrel, but he was also able to discard Anger and attack for 3 that turn. Zvi couldn't block that Mongrek effectively so he tried racing it, playing Ghostly Wings on Mystic Visionary. Fiery Temper ended that dream. As always, Zvi kept on giggling. "I thought I had a pretty good matchup, but this guy's playing constructed. Heeheeheehee." Levy had troubl finding a fourth land and that gave Zvi the illusion of hope, but once Levy did find land #4 the stream of hasty attackers just never stopped. Violent Eruption cleared a final path and it was Lev, with the much-ridiculed red and green monsters, who was through to the table finals.